Modified waste tyre derived carbon black as an adsorbent for water pollution control: A systematic review

The increasing generation of waste tyres presents both an environmental burden and an opportunity for resource recovery through value added applications. Among these, waste tyre derived carbon black (CB) has attracted growing attention as a sustainable adsorbent for wastewater treatment. In this review, a systematic literature screening was conducted, resulting in the selection of 11 relevant peer-reviewed studies that met predefined inclusion criteria. The reviewed studies were analysed with respect to precursor processing routes, physicochemical modification techniques, targeted adsorbates, adsorption mechanisms and performance indicators. Comparative evaluation of reported data indicates that targeted surface engineering enhances adsorption capacity, selectivity and reusability by regulating surface charge, pore structure and functional group distribution. The review consolidates adsorption kinetics, isotherm behaviour, thermodynamic trends and regeneration performance to establish structure property performance relationships across different pollutant classes. Environmental and operational limitations, including secondary pollution risks, chemical handling concerns and variability in waste derived feedstocks, are critically discussed alongside emerging low-impact and sustainable modification approaches. By integrating adsorption performance with environmental relevance and circular economy considerations, this review highlights the potential of waste tyre derived carbon black as a versatile adsorbent platform while identifying key research gaps for future development and practical implementation in wastewater treatment systems.